Honeywell
and Thales Alenia Space issued a joint announcement on September 21
regarding their newly-formed partnership. Honeywell
will integrate the avionics and satellite antenna systems of its
Inmarsat
Global Xpress service with Thales’ cabin network solutions to
create a Ka-band in-flight connectivity service.
Honeywell
and Thales will leverage the Ka-band broadband capacity of Global
Express to offer in-flight connectivity bandwidth of up to four times
greater than the current standard. The Inmarsat satellite Internet
service will allow for media-rich applications such as virtual office
capability, video conferencing, real-time satellite TV channel
viewing, and social media connectivity. It will also reportedly be
more cost-effective than competitors' in-flight Internet services.
The
three Global Xpress Ka-band satellites are currently being built at aerospace
company Boeing's facilities in El Segundo, California. The first
satellite has been scheduled for a 2013 launch.
